Jack Skellington Decorated Cake Roll Tutorial

Yeah! It’s finally here! I think I’ve been doing Halloween desserts for 3 months!!! It’s time to move on to other desserts, including Christmas ones!

But just before I do, the Halloween fun continues with another cake roll! I know you like them, I do too! But this one, I had to do it two times! I could have done it 3 times because this one too cracked, but hey it’s cute anyway. Jack Skellington is such a great character. I barely remember the movie The Nightmare before Christmas though, I have to remediate to this problem soon! I don’t know why I love Jack so much, is it because of his look? Maybe. Is it because he is a Tim Burton character? I’m not sure (I did LOVE the Corpse Bride too). I think he is just so freaking awesome 😀 I mean, with this hat, isn’t he super cool? 😀 Ok I’m being carried away!

This cake roll is easier than the two others (Birthday Cakes and Halloween) in that there is just one color (so less freezing). But it’s harder for the little details. For example, I used a toothpick for Jack’s mouth and the skulls on the fence (do I sound obsessive? Did I mention I did it 2 times? Yeah, I thought so…).

Anyway it’s just too fun to realize, I feel like I’m doing a drawing but on something sweet that I can eat. It’s perfect 😀

Let me know if you try it! Would love to see what you come up with. The possibilities are infinite!

After beating for 2-3 minutes slowly add the flour and baking powder and mix with a spoon. When the batter is homogeneous, add the water. Combine slowly.

Decoration

Reserve about 2 tablespoons of cake batter. Add black food coloring.

Refrigerate the remaining cake batter while decorating.

Place the template on a baking sheet. About 5 cm from one of the sides. Add a parchment paper on top. Weight down the parchment paper with spoons or forks you’ll see why later!

You can almost do all the black drawing in one shot except for the eyes of the what seems to be a little animal on his neck. For this one, just dip a toothpick in the uncolored batter and make little eyes. Don’t add black around the eyes before freezing. Use a piping bag with a #1 tip (this will help you do the little details, if it’s not enough, use a toothpick to sharpen some details). You could also use a Ziploc from which you cut a corner of the size you need. Trace the pattern following the template. I used a #2 tip for the fence.

Freeze for about 10 minutes (more if needed). Take the baking sheet out of the freezer. At this point you can fill the little animal with black, I did much later, but it’s no use! Then fill all the shapes with uncolored batter (skulls, Jack’s face, ribbon of the hat, between the fences and jack’s shirt). Freeze again

(If your image doesn’t resemble this one it’s normal, I had a little accident! That’s why you should always weight down the parchment paper. It changed nothing to the result, I was lucky, but I could have ruined everything.)

Take the reserved batter. You will put uncolored batter all around your shapes. This will prevent the shapes from deforming when you add the remaining batter.

Freeze for the last time. Preheat oven to 375°F. When the decoration is set, remove the template from under your parchment paper (so that the parchment paper with your decorations is directly on the baking sheet) and then pour the remaining batter over the baking sheet where there is no batter yet. Spread evenly with a spatula (over the shapes if it’s not even, else you’ll end up with a cake like my first one).

Bake the cake for about 10 minutes. Don’t overbake because it will be hard to roll and it might crack.

Lay a parchment paper on your counter (or a clean kitchen towel). As soon as your cake is out of the oven take out the cake from the pan with the parchment paper, turn over on the parchment paper and remove the parchment paper it was baked in, turn again so that the decorations are facing the counter. Roll the cake in the paper and let cool (you should roll it beginning on the side farther from the decorations).

When the cake is completely cool, unroll then spread the filling. Roll again and you’re done! Enjoy 😀

Comments

Happy halloween Marjorie! Your cake rolls are spectacular. In fact, I was all ready to make my own a few days ago. Sketched the halloween scene and all and was about to get all my ingredients ready when I realised I didn’t have an ingredient I needed. Total bummer! I did have all intentions of going to the store but with 3 excited kiddo’s n’ all, time got away with me.

The first one still looks great still. I’d be impressed if I made the first one still. Can’t wait to see what cake rolls you’ll be creating for Christmas next. 🙂

Happy Halloween dear Lisa 😀 Thank you so much 🙁 Ugh bummer indeed :S Ahahaha I haven’t think too much about a halloween Cake Roll, the time will come 😀 But I had a design in mind for 2-3 months that I want to try real soon 😀